Jennifer Barker , LPC

Jennifer Barker centers her practice on creative expression as a pathway to understanding and healing. She recognizes that words alone do not always capture inner experience, and she uses artmaking to help clients externalize feelings, clarify thoughts, and build self-awareness. By inviting tangible forms of expression into sessions, she offers alternatives when verbal expression feels limited or difficult.

Her therapeutic stance is person-centered and strength-based, meeting clients where they are and supporting them as they begin to make changes and recover. As an art therapist, she combines clinical training with practical art techniques to facilitate exploration and growth in a supportive setting.

Jennifer earned a Master of Arts in Art Therapy with a Specialization in Counseling in 2014 from Seton Hill University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), which designates her as a trained, licensed mental health counselor, and she holds Board Certification as a Registered Art Therapist (ATR-BC), reflecting advanced training in using art in clinical work. Her clinical experience includes trauma-informed care, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing, and crisis intervention, which she integrates into art-based and talk therapies to address clients' needs.

Integrating creative and evidence-based approaches online

Jennifer brings client-centered therapy into online sessions by focusing on each person's goals, values, and lived experience. This approach emphasizes empathy and collaboration, helping clients feel heard while guiding them toward meaningful change.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is used to identify and reframe unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. In brief, goal-oriented exercises help clients develop practical skills for managing symptoms like anxiety or low mood.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers tools for emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. These skills can be especially helpful for clients facing intense emotions or relationship challenges.

Finding the right combination of methods is part of the therapeutic process. Jennifer works collaboratively with clients to determine which approaches best suit their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting techniques as progress is made.

Online therapy offers flexibility and accessibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These options allow clients to engage in therapy from their own environment, fit sessions into busy schedules, and use different communication styles depending on the moment and the work at hand. Licensed professionals can adapt in-person techniques to these formats to maintain continuity and momentum in care.